episode_0039

As Alice, Grace, and Charlotte each held a gun by their side, the atmosphere felt different.

One of the characteristics of JRPGs is that you can’t freely change your weapons.

It doesn’t mean you can’t swap weapons like in an FPS. It means that each character is limited to certain types of weapons, so you can’t just equip anything.

There are various reasons for this. It could be to save resources, to avoid creating too many animations or skills, or to prevent confusion among party members about who has what weapon.

For whatever reason, in the original game, it was impossible to equip multiple pieces of equipment, especially ones that the character couldn’t normally wear.

Well, if this were the “original” game, this kind of combat would have been impossible.

But you can’t just confine a real battlefield to a sports field. You can’t sell tickets to a battlefield.

So, in the end, the sandbags we had piled up a bit higher between us were the only obstacles. It may have been called a “real battlefield,” but… well, we just had to go along with what the instructor wanted.

In the game, it’s all turn-based, and even if you get hit by a gun, it only reduces your HP, it’s not an instant death. It may have been a bit detached from reality, but it’s an unavoidable part of establishing the JRPG genre.

However… it will be different here, as we can give guns to characters who primarily use swords.

Jennifer was standing on the platform, looking down at us.

She must be up there to tell us who got shot and died.

… There are forty-five people on both sides, is that okay? In the game, it didn’t matter because it was turn-based, but…

Well, the instructor will take care of it. I decided not to worry about it.

“For now, when you run, I will protect you. Make sure to zigzag while running and do it as fast as possible. Otherwise, it’s an instant death.”

“….”

Everyone nodded.

People in the noble class who handle guns are very rare. And I was one of those rare individuals. That’s probably why everyone trusts me so much.

In fact, the battle had already begun.

But no one was thinking of going outside. The one who sticks their head out first will receive an instant death penalty.

Still, I wasn’t worried.

“…. Can Anna watch?”

Alice, lying next to me, asked.

“It’s fine.”

I replied.

It’s really fine. The reason is—

“Bang!”

—because those idiots are here.

The game doesn’t always progress from one person’s perspective. Sometimes the camera moves based on supporting characters or extras.

And I knew that there were people who would charge like that. It was depicted in the game.

Those who think it’s not “glorious” to stay behind the defense line.

I judged that it’s not a real battlefield here, so they won’t die anyway. They just want to show their idea of “glory.”

But that doesn’t mean they’re completely stupid and will charge head-on.

Bang!

I heard a sound that filled the field, and Alice’s shoulder flinched. Her eyes widened in surprise.

It was much smaller than the actual sound of a gun. Probably because there was much less gunpowder. The blocked barrel wouldn’t explode.

But at least, there was enough gunpowder to make a sound. There was a tiny hole at the end of the barrel as a precaution.

If someone gets injured, it would probably be just a minor burn.

“McKinsey, eliminated!”

… He’s out in one shot, as expected.

“It’s a blank round. There’s no need to worry.”

I said that and got up from my seat right away.

Dangerous, but not too conspicuous.

And,

Bang!

A loud noise erupted from the rifle I was holding. The recoil slightly jolted my shoulder.

“James, eliminated!”

The civilian who had been peeking out from behind the sandbag quickly got up and darted to the back.

Bang!

“Sylvia, eliminated!”

So, that’s where they’re coming from, huh?

I remembered the direction where the gunshot came from.

Again.

*

Bang! Clang. Bang!

Two shots. Each hitting one person.

“Sylvia, eliminated!”

But soon after, more shots followed. Not just me, but as the gunfire rang out multiple times, the members of Team B immediately began to respond in unison, turning the battlefield into chaos in an instant. Jennifer, as if determined not to let a single person slip by, called out the names of the eliminated contestants one after another, and amidst the fake cheers, more eliminations occurred.

I remembered every spot where heads had popped out.

Again.

*

“I will cover you. Run!”

As I said that, I fired my gun continuously.

Bang!

Before confirming if I hit the target, I quickly pulled back the bolt, turned the muzzle in the other direction, and fired again without hesitation.

Next to me, Alice was seen leaping over the sandbag. In her left hand, she held a double-barrel shotgun, and in her right hand, a sword. With full speed, Alice sprinted forward.

Alice’s running speed was much faster than I had anticipated. The civilian contestants found it difficult to hit Alice, who zigzagged her way through as I had predicted.

But—

Bang!

“Alice, eliminated!”

It wasn’t impossible to hit her, after all.

Alice glanced back at me with a somewhat disappointed expression—

Again!

*

The Ergensen rifle holds five rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Unlike other rifles with a clip-style magazine, it requires opening the side magazine, inserting five bullets, and then closing it, which is a somewhat cumbersome reloading process that also requires larger movements of the gun and hands.

While it has a speed loader, the method of ‘dropping in’ the bullets means it lacks the stability compared to other bolt-action rifles where the bullets are securely inserted.

However, once you get used to it, you can quickly and swiftly reload by dropping in the bullets in an instant.

If there were several people in our team who could handle the rifle precisely, I would have fought by reloading like that—

“Charlotte, eliminated!”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone in our team who could utilize the rifle to that extent.

Although we were pushed back relatively due to the many easy targets, the bullets eventually came our way.

But, we’re getting better.

I had prepared multiple Ergensen rifles. I already knew this situation would come. Jennifer’s policy of ‘individual preparations in the battlefield according to personal thoughts’ was effective, so even if I had placed several firearms behind the sandbag, Jennifer didn’t say anything.

…The only problem was that having several people with six-shot rifles would have been better than going through all this trouble.

Ah, seriously, I can’t handle this.

Still, we were almost at the finish line. It was just a matter of getting there without being eliminated.

“Once you get closer, you can use your firearms. Aim towards the muzzle and shoot.”

I tried saying that before the battle, but—

“Eliminated!”

In the end, I could have taken out a few more, but I was eliminated.

“…”

In the original work, this scene would have transitioned to an event scene.

The problem was that in that scene, the one using magic was Crowfield.

With all my other teammates wiped out, I turned to look to my side.

Mia Crowfield was still behind the sandbag.

In my hand, I tightly held a magic wand. It seemed that I was left alone because everyone had rushed in without thinking.

Hmm.

Well, let’s give it a try.

Again.

Before distributing shotguns to my team members, I stood up from my seat and confidently walked towards where the other nobles were gathered.

“Sylvia?”

Alice called out my name in surprise as she saw me walking towards where Mia Crowfield was, but I just continued confidently towards Mia Crowfield without acknowledging her.

As if I had done nothing wrong.

Even if I were to be rejected without hesitation, it wouldn’t matter since I could just turn back time.

I had already told Mia Crowfield the truth, so I wasn’t lacking in courage to make a simple proposal.

The nobles gathered around Mia Crowfield looked at me and made way for me. It’s comfortable to have a place next to the princess.

I turned around to see Mia Crowfield, who had taken a step back in surprise, trembling slightly, and looking straight at me.

“Crowfield Yeong-ae.”

I greeted her like that.

“Ah, um, why, why are you…?”

When I saw her in the student council room, Mia Crowfield didn’t hide her vitality, but now she wasn’t showing that side of her.

She must have shown her vitality in front of me because she couldn’t control her emotions. She probably showed her hostility towards me for a moment.

But I didn’t react and just stood there.

Mia herself probably didn’t think much of it as a mistake.

…Even if she openly dislikes it, it doesn’t matter much. Mia Crowfield had said that she would join the student council if I did. If I show any weakness, she would probably try to exploit it and either kill me, be killed, or kill and be killed. The chances of success are slim.

She might be wondering how to interpret my lack of response, but Mia Crowfield was at least trying to stay by my side.

Although it was a separate matter from offering help, there was a possibility, so I decided to make the offer.

“We need your help on our side. Could you possibly help us?”

The students held their breath at my words.

…Would it seem strange for me to say something like this?

Certainly, it might seem strange. I had never asked the students for any favors before. I had intended to maintain an image of being cool and not needing any help.

But now, I needed that help.

In the original work, the protagonist’s party overcame this situation with Crowfield’s help.

In fact, it was necessary not for performance but to recreate the ‘event god’. At this point, the ability to create that event god could be seen as Crowfield’s ability.

“My… help…?”

Did my proposal seem shameless? Mia Crowfield widened her eyes and looked at me.

Although her bangs were long, just by looking at her like that, she seemed like a cute girl character.

In the original work, there was no me or Claire by Leo’s side. The reasons for Leo getting involved with other characters were diverse. He got involved with Alice, and then with Crowfield who was trying to control Alice… At this point, Mia Crowfield should have been with Leo.

While Leo was with us, and Claire was with us, Leo ended up forming a slightly different group. So, in this event, it was said that we couldn’t fight properly because Mia Crowfield’s help was missing.

“…”

At my words, Mia Crowfield fell into deep thought for a moment. The attention of those around us gathered here, but I only focused on Mia Crowfield.

Would she reject me? Would she mock or be pleased to see me fail? Although she didn’t show any signs of that earlier, maybe she was just too preoccupied with being left alone.

“… What kind of help do you need?”

Mia Crowfield finally asked me that.

“I need light.”

I explained simply and clearly.

In the original, it was an idea that Mia Crowfield came up with herself, but given the timing in the original, Leo must have already been eliminated.

“I want to create the most powerful light possible, is that possible?”